I am happy to report that this issue has been solved thanks to Framework tech support guru Lex. Here are the steps Lex shared with me to get the CPU going:
- Turn off the laptop and disconnect charger.
- Remove all of the expansion cards (I kept the USB-C installed for charger purposes), RAMs (remove only channel 0), and SSD.
- Connect RAM to channel 1. Leave channel 0 empty.
- Reconnect the charger and turn on the laptop.
- Try connecting an external display to a compatible port and see if issue persists (I did not do this step).
Lex gave an extra step that reset the mainboard. This step is what I think fixed my problem.
- Plug the laptop into AC power.
- Open the main cover. (This requires the removal of the mouse pad and keyboard along with the metal plate to expose the hardware components).
- Press the chassis open switch (see attached picture for location) in the center of the mainboard ten times. NOTE: You must press it slowly by pressing for two seconds, release and wait for the red LED to blink and then press again for a total of ten times. Use the flat tip of the Framework tool.
- Press the power button to boot the system.
- BIOS settings will be reset to defaults.
NOTE: You should see flashing red LEDs when the chassis open switch is not pressed, otherwise you do not have power to the mainboard. The BIOS password reset will NOT work if the mainboard does not have power.
